Heritage & Theology
The Precious Jewel in the Ecclesiastical Sciences
A complete English edition of a classic compendium of ecclesiastical learning from the Coptic tradition.
Edition details
Paperback
- Format
- Paperback
- Language
- English
- Pages
- 252
- ISBN-13
- 9781764445054
- Dimensions
- 7 × 10 in
- Amazon ASIN
- 1764445058
- Availability
- Available now
Hardcover
- Format
- Hardcover
- Language
- English
- Pages
- 252
- ISBN-13
- 9781764957847
- Dimensions
- 7 × 10 in
- Amazon ASIN
- 1764957849
- Availability
- Available now
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About This Book
The Church Seen Whole
What does medieval Coptic Christian writing in Arabic reveal about the Church’s faith, worship and daily life? In The Precious Jewel, Yūḥannā ibn Abī Zakariyyā ibn Sabbāʿ gathers Scripture and doctrine, sanctuary and sacrament, clergy and people, feasts and fasting, pastoral care and daily Christian conduct into one ordered vision.
Across 113 chapters, biblical interpretation, liturgical practice, ecclesial order and moral formation belong together. Ibn Sabbāʿ does more than record rites: he reveals how a medieval Coptic Christian understood their meaning.
At once a theological handbook, a liturgical witness and a portrait of a community, this work preserves convictions that illuminate a Christian world otherwise only partly visible.
The First Complete English Translation
Significant Greek, Coptic and Arabic forms remain in their original scripts, with transliteration and carefully placed scholarly notes. This edition welcomes clergy, students, believers and newcomers into the life of the Church seen whole.
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An access edition
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This edition is intended to improve access to the work. Advanced digital tools, including generative AI, were used in its production, with responsibility for the final text and editorial decisions remaining with the editor.
This access edition is intended for general reading, discovery and further exploration. It may also serve as a stepping stone for academic study. Some passages may remain uncertain or benefit from further refinement. Readers undertaking academic research or detailed theological study should consult the original-language sources, relevant manuscripts and specialist scholarship; this edition is not presented as a scholarly translation or critical edition.
Source and edition details: Consult the source and edition notes in your copy. A verified bibliographic record has not yet been added to this website.
For corrections, please give the edition or version printed in your copy, or state that it is not identified.
We welcome suggested corrections, alternative readings and supporting evidence. Accepted changes are published in a dated record and incorporated into subsequent editions, with acknowledgement by permission.